DLA Piper lands in Argentina with Cabanellas Etchebarne Kelly

DLA Piper announced it has established an agreement with Argentine law firm Cabanellas Etchebarne Kelly.

Cabanellas Etchebarne Kelly is headquartered in Buenos Aires (pictured) with offices in the Argentinean city of Mendoza as well as in New York City. The firm was founded in 1997 and is now home to 11 lawyers. While it is a full service operation, it is perhaps best known for its sizeable expertise in banking and capital markets, including sovereign debt work and project finance. 

“Cabanellas Etchebarne Kelly’s lawyers have deep and wide-ranging experience in crucial practice areas, and the firm has established an excellent reputation, particularly in the region,” said Roger Meltzer, DLA Piper’s global co-chairman and co-chairman of the Americas, in the announcement. Marcelo Etchebarne, co-founder of Cabanellas Etchebarne Kelly and head of its New York office, added: “Under this arrangement, we will be able to provide local companies with a world-class international platform to satisfy their legal needs, particularly as they relate to regional and international expansion.”

DLA Piper has expanded its footprint in Latin America over the last few years. In addition to its new Argentinean bases, the global firm now has offices in the Pacific Alliance (Chile, Mexico, Colombia and Peru) and in Puerto Rico. It also has a cooperation agreement with Campos Mello in Brazil which launched in 2010 and a Miami office, in operations since 2011.

Meanwhile, Melzer told The American Lawyer that the global firm will not will not seek further expansion in the region: “I don’t believe that we will engage in any other country expansion in South America. This was the final piece that we had been searching for for some time.”

Buenos Aires is home to a handful of international law firms, including Baker McKenzie; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; Kennedys and Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle.